Sanctuary
by Dragonfly451
Summary: Joel's made his decision. Now, they must live with it. They have made their new home in Jackson, but can it last? Outside forces hunger like ravenous wolves for control of the town and its source of precious electricity, and the discovery of another town nearby brings even more turmoil to the town. Unsure of the future, Jackson starts to divide...
1. Prologue - Home

Home. It's a concept near foreign to the her. Home was whatever orphanage the military threw her in before she inevitably got kicked out. Home was hiding in whatever safehouse the Fireflies had shoved her in for the night. Home _used_ to be with him. He cared about her, more so than any other human being has before. She knew he would destroy the world if it was to keep her safe.

But, if her gut is right, then he might have done just that. And lied straight to her face about doing it. He killed them all, there is no doubt in her mind. But why? Why, after everything they went through, would he throw it all away?

But she accepts the lie, for now, at least. Because knowing the truth, knowing for certain that he did it, would be too much. So for now, she'll accept the lie and try to move on. Try to find something worth fighting for. And maybe… just maybe, she can start to trust him again.

Maybe one day, Joel will be her home again.


	2. Chapter 1 - Jackson

**So, yeah, this update is coming a bit later than I hoped. Sorry about that. I'll try to get out chapters as early as possible, but you should expect probably one a month (school, and just generally being a busy asshole. Sorry.) And, to be honest, this is my first attempt at writing from a third person perspective, so I'm sorry if things are jarring, confusing, or poorly written. I'll (hopefully) improve as time goes on. I also want to say that while this starts from Joel and Ellie's points of view, it won't remain that way for long. They will play key roles, but this series is more OC-oriented. In other words, this will have very little, if anything to do with Part II. Apologies if that's what you wanted.**

* * *

Ellie's the first to see the signs of a battle as they get closer to the town. Spent casings, burn marks, and dried blood litters the area. "Be careful," Joel says when she points them out. "Most likely, they'll still be on edge."

The closer they get, the more frequent these signs become, along with small, shrapnel littered craters. "Shit," Ellie comments when they pass the first of these. "What do you think happened?"

"If they brought out bombs, I don't think it was infected. I'd say it was a group o' bandits. Large one, at that." Joel answers.

At his suggestion, once they're at the gate, the two keep their hands away from them and move slowly. No reason to make themselves appear as a threat, after all. As they approach, the guard - a man wearing a collared black shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of jeans - raises his rifle. "That's far enough, you can stop right there," he warns. "What're you two doin' here?"

"We helped your guys repel the bandits at the dam last fall," Joel explains. "Tommy's my brother, he offered us a place in town."

He speaks into a radio, never taking his eyes or the gun off them. After a little while, he lowers the gun. "Alright, you guys check out. I'll open the gate for you. Tommy's on his way."

He disappears and a minute later, the gate creaks open. They head inside, and he closes it behind them. "Sorry 'bout the gun. But, as you probably saw, we aren't exactly in a position to be… diplomatic."

Joel nods, "Yeah, we saw that on the way in. What happened?"

"One of the big bandit groups attacked a few days ago. Nearly made it through the wall," he explains, holding out a gloved hand.

Joel shakes his hand and studies him. He looks to be in his late-thirties, white with short, well-kept brown hair and a freshly shaven beard. There's something with his eyes though. They have the same steely edge as most people's do. But, there's something else there. Or more like, something _isn't_ there. Joel can't place it, though. "I'm Joel and this is Ellie," he introduces the two of them.

"Good to meet both of you," he says with a smile. "I'm Cole. I run the wall and guard shifts."

"I thought Maria and Tommy were the leaders here?" Ellie speaks up for the first time since they came inside.

Cole chuckles, "They do run things in general, but there's a couple people who run specific things. Like me with the guards, or Houser with the dam. Just helps with management."

"Joel!" Tommy calls from nearby, a relieved tone in his voice. Joel barely manages to face him before he gets pulled into a hug. "Holy shit, we thought you died when you weren't back by winter."

"It's a long story," Joel says nervously. It wasn't until this moment he hadn't known what he'd tell Tommy.

"I'd love to hear it sometime," Tommy responds. "So, how did it go?"

Thankfully for Joel, he doesn't have to say anything. "They stopped looking for a cure," Ellie answers, glaring at him. Joel feels a nervous twinge in his gut. Did she see through his lie?

Tommy blinks in surprise and Cole perks up with a new interest in the conversation. "Really? I didn't think Marlene would ever quit on that."

"Like I said," Joel sighs. "It's a long story. I'll tell you tonight."

"Yeah… I think I'll come by later," Adrian says, narrowing his eyes at Joel. "I'd love to hear it."

That look sets Joel's nerves on edge. He knows something is up, there is no doubt in Joel's mind. But how?

"Alright, well, see you then," Tommy says, obviously puzzled about that look. He shifts his attention back to Joel and Ellie, "How 'bout I show you two around town?"

"That sounds good," Joel agrees, and as they walk away, he can feel Cole's eyes on the back of his head. "So, how've things been?" Joel asks once they're on the streets of the town. Old, overgrown relics of the past line the edges of the road with newer, wooden shacks spaced out randomly between them. People talk to each other on porches and pass them on the streets. Some of them throw curious glances at the two strangers before continuing on their ways.

"For the most part, things have been great, the town has grown a lot since you were here last," Tommy answers with pride. "We've got about two hundred people living here. It's looking like that ranch Ellie ran off to is gonna be turned into an encampment, someplace for our militia to be getting a bigger picture on the area."

"That's all pretty impressive," Joel remarks. "But… that's not what I meant."

Tommy looks back at him, confused for a second before it clicks, "Oh… I've been good. There's a lot we've got to get caught up on, though." Joel nods in agreement, and silence falls on the three for a few awkward minutes until Tommy says, "Maria was relieved you changed your mind."

Joel chuckles, "I can imagine, she looked ready to blow my head off for sendin' you out there."

"She wasn't the only one," Ellie mutters under her breath. Joel glances sideways at her and sighs. He still feels like a total idiot for even thinking he could abandon her.

Joel and Ellie didn't even notice the growing noise until it hits them like a wall. "This is the town square," Tommy explains. About fifty people walk around a small plaza, at one end, there's an old warehouse with a couple stands set up outside. In large white letters, the word 'Marketplace' is written on a sign above the door. On the other side of the wall is another door with a red cross painted on it. To the right is a diner with a wall missing, and tables and chairs are set up, scattered about the area. People chat and eat in several of the set ups. The smells wafting from it make Joel's stomach growl. Apparently it hadn't lost its previous purpose.

A pawing at his hand draws his attention. He looks down to see Ellie squeezing it tightly with a deer in headlights look. He squeezes back. It's a relief to him, that even though she doesn't trust him, she still looks to him to be an anchor. "It's pretty impressive," he comments.

Tommy grins, "It really is somethin'. We've worked hard to get something like this. Something normal," after a moment, giving the two time look around, he asks, "You two hungry?"

Joel looks to her with an unspoken question. He hadn't eaten since the sedan they stole broke down about halfway Jackson, and it had been two days since they found the piece of junk they drove the rest of the way. But, this is Ellie's call. Hell, all of them should be hers after what he did.

"Uh… yeah," she stammers nervously. "Just… can we eat away from everyone else?" Joel nods in agreement. After everything, even sitting near the ten or so people there puts him on edge.

"Sure," Tommy replies. "Grab a seat and I'll be with you in a sec. Just need to talk to somebody real quick."

Joel and Ellie find a seat at the back of the diner, where nobody else is. The silence brewing between them is so overwhelming that he nearly folds and tells her everything. But, somehow he manages to keep it together. Ellie looks down at the table, tracing lines in the wood. Neither want to start a conversation, because it's inevitable what will happen once they do.

So, they wait patiently for Tommy to get back. Eventually, he does, with a couple plates, and to their unease, a woman.

She's around Joel's age, probably a couple years younger and wearing a blue shirt. She smiles at them and sits across from Joel. "Hello, I'm Cheyenne," she introduces herself.

"Hello," Joel swallows his nerves and greets her."I'm Joel and this is Ellie."

"Tommy told me about you. Thanks for helping our guys at the dam."

Joel nods and looks at Tommy in confusion and irritation. He never mentioned anything about this. He notices the look and explains, "Cheyenne helps me and Maria out with new arrivals. But, even more, she's one of the people in charge of construction in town."

"Tommy's already told me that you and him worked construction, which is a relief for me. As Tommy's probably already told you, we've gotten a lot of people coming in, but we don't enough homes built. And most of my crew is tied up working the wall with Cole, so progress has been slow."

Joel sighs in irritation. He wasn't expecting (or wanting) a free ride here, nor did he mind if he was put to work right away. He'd rather that than sitting around doing nothing, anyways. But, he never liked it when people beat around the bush like this. "When do you want me to start working?"

She lets out a surprised chuckle. "Not gonna lie, most people aren't eager for work as soon as they get here."

"Well, the idea of sitting around while others do all the work never had much appeal to me. Same with beating around the bush."

"Yeah, sorry about that," she says, scratching the back of her head. "I'm not a fan of it either, but more than a few people have gotten pissed at me for asking directly. I don't know why, it's like some people expect 'safe zone' means 'charity gig'. So, if we give them a rundown of something we need help with, most of those types of pricks feel like heroes for choosing to help. But, anyways, we won't put you on duty for about a week. We give everyone who comes in some time to settle down."

"What about me?" Ellie finally gets over her nervousness and speaks up. "What am I supposed to do?"

Cheyenne acknowledges her with a smile, "We don't give kids a job. We'd rather not have them risking their lives for us. Instea-"

"Bullshit! I can handle myself!" she protests. A couple people around the diner hear her outburst and look over.

Tommy and Cheyenne are taken aback by her outburst, but Joel expected it as soon as Cheyenne said no. "She's right," he vouches for her. "She can handle her own. Saved my ass more than a few times."

Ellie gives Joel an appreciative look, and he feels a slight lifting of that weight that he's carried since Salt Lake. Cheyenne looks to Tommy, who shrugs. "Alright, well, what can you do?"

Ellie thinks for a moment, then answers, "I'm decent with a rifle, but definitely a better shot with a bow. Oh, and the military had been training me to be a combat medic back in Boston before we skipped town."

The last bit didn't really surprise Joel, the stitches to his side had been done with some degree of expertise. More than he had. But, they perked up at that bit. "Really?" Tommy says.

"Yeah, I mean, we left before I could learn everything, but I know how to field dress wounds and stitch people up."

"That's alright," Tommy tells her. "We've got a trauma surgeon in charge of the infirmary. He can show you the ropes."

Cheyenne nods, "Brandon doesn't really talk much, but he's damn good at what he does.

Tommy changes the subject, and the four talk for a little while longer until Cheyenne gets up. "It was good meeting you two, but I can't stay for your tour. I gotta get back to the housing project we've got. I'll see you around."

Once she's gone, Joel looks to Tommy, "Would've been helpful if you gave us a heads up about that."

He shrugs, "You did good. Besides, would you have agreed if you knew about the meeting?"

"Probably not," Joel agrees. They almost certainly wouldn't have met with a total stranger had they known. "She seems nice, though."

Tommy chuckles, "I wouldn't think she has an enemy in the world. I'm honestly amazed someone can be as kindhearted as her with everything the way it is."

They finish eating and continue on with the tour. Tommy takes them to the stables, greenhouses, and church before they arrive at another warehouse, this one reinforced and a sniper's watchtower rising from the center..

"And this is the Forge," Tommy explains. "Here's where we store all the parts, casings, and worn down weapons we find. Awhile back, we found some old military outpost. And those guys had an entire arsenal of reloading benches and materials, so we dragged them back here and started making our own ammo. After that, we set up some workbenches so we can repair our guns. We raised the tower since this hilltop is the highest point in town. No reason for us to let a good position be wasted."

"Jesus," Joel gasps. "With something like this, you can hold down Jackson for good."

"That's the plan. We've got enough supplies that we can produce at least ten years worth of ammo."

"Woah…" Ellie breathes out.

Joel looks over at Tommy, "So, you got power, crops, livestock, and can make your own ammo here. Your people can just hold down the city and the plant without ever having to set a foot outside, can't they?"

Tommy lets out a sound of amusement, "I wish, but we've still got a long time and a lot of work to go before that can happen."

"Do you think that's possible?" Ellie asks.

Tommy's expression changes. He looks down at his feet and thinks for a moment. "I don't think so," he says with sadness. "There's just too much we need that we can't make here. Things like medicine, gas, and equipment that we don't have access to here. So, no, I think we're always gonna have to risk our lives going out." His expression switches back and he smiles. "I do have something else to show you."

He leads them down one of the streets back towards the wall. They pass by a couple more people before Joel realizes something, "Hey, where's Maria?"

"Hm? Oh, she's on patrol right now. When she gets back, I'll go on ahead and grab her so we can have dinner together to welcome you. How 'bout it?"

"Sounds good," Joel replies. Tommy stops and the two follow suit. "But, can we do it somewhere a bit more… private than a diner?"

Tommy chuckles and answers, looking away from them, "Of course. How does home sound?" They follow his gaze to a worn, one-story house with weathered white paint and vines creeping up the side. "Told you there's a place for you here."

Joel's eyes widen in surprise. "You mean, this is…?"

"Yeah. I've been sitting on this one for years, hopin' that you might end up out here someday. It's not much, but it's somethin'," he glances sideways at Joel. "Well? Whaddya think?"

"I-I don't know what to say. T-thank you."

Tommy grins and squeezes his brother's shoulder. "Why don't you head inside and get settled in?"


End file.
